On Friday November 8, the boys varsity soccer season came to an unfortunate end with a tough 4-1 loss at the hands of Lindenwold. Despite the season ending sooner than the team had hoped, the Hawks still made plenty of history over the course of their 19 game season. 

Unfortunately, the Hawks were unable to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament, but were definitely not dealt a good hand. The Hawks were placed in Group B which was even labeled as the “group of death” prior to the season. The other teams featured in this group included CBA, Middletown South, St. John Vianney, and Monmouth. Although the Hawks finished 4th out of 5th in the group and did not qualify, the team fought resiliently and played closely with each of the qualifying teams. The Hawks began tournament play with an unlucky 1-0 loss to Middletown South, where the lone goal scored in the game was off a penalty whistled from a debatable handball call. The Hawks then paid a visit to CBA, the defending Shore Conference champions. Despite falling to the Colts 2-0, the boys played tough and had their share of chances. The Hawks then traveled to Holmdel in a must win game against St. John Vianney. The boys ultimately fell to the Griffins 3-2 in a game filled with controversy. Two out of the three goals conceded by the Hawks were from the penalty spot, the first one being whistled for a foul and the other for a questionable handball. Despite the controversy, the Hawks had countless opportunities throughout the game and nearly sent the game to overtime in the closing seconds on a shot that had drifted just wide. The Hawks closed tournament play in what was practically a consolation game with a strong 3-1 win against Monmouth.

As the group stage of tournament play came to a close, the Hawks found themselves at a record of 4-6. Going into senior night, the Hawks hosted Ranney, who were coming into the game undefeated in their last 8 contests. In a game that was just about make or break for the Hawks, the boys managed to come through, snapping Ranney’s substantial winning streak. It seemed as if this game propelled the Hawks, as they went on a ridiculous 7 game winning streak prior to the state tournament. Because of the substantial win streak the boys went on, the Hawks were able to capture some crucial powerpoints and as a result soared their way up to the 3 seed. The boys began South Jersey Group 2 Tournament play as they hosted #14 seed Pennsauken Tech. The Hawks struck early in the fixture, with Erik Balkius and Servando Gonzalez each scoring in the first 10 minutes. The game then began to reach a bit of a stalemate, as there were minimal chances at each end for the next 40 minutes. That was until the game reached the 52nd minute, where the Hawks began to pull away, scoring two goals in two minutes. The boys even added two more goals towards the end of the contest to make it 6-0 and completely blow the doors off this game. The boys were considerably victorious and would move on to host #11 seed Lindenwold in the quarterfinals.

The game had started just about as bad as you could imagine for the Hawks, as they conceded two goals in the first five minutes. This immediately took the boys out of their game, and they were forced to alter their team tactics very early in this contest. The Hawks then settled into the game and began to create their own share of opportunities. However, an errant clearance in the 27th minute gave Lindenwold their 3rd goal of the game. It was a nightmare first 40 minutes for the Hawks, as they went into the half facing a 3-goal deficit. The boys did come out in the second half firing, getting multiple chances at the offensive end. However, the shots continued not to fall for the Hawks, and the clock was now beginning to become a factor. That was until the 62nd minute, where Lindenwold netted their 4th goal of the game. The Hawks did manage to get a goal back, with Aiden Clauburg scoring in the 68th minute. The boys gave one final push to try and pull off what would be a miracle comeback. A missed breakaway and a controversial non-penalty call wrapped up the contest for the Hawks, which had seemed to have become a common theme throughout this game. The boys undeniably had their chances in this game, but were unable to come through and were ultimately eliminated from the tournament. Although the season definitely did not end how the Hawks may have envisioned, the boys achieved a significant amount and had one of the best years in the program’s history.

2024 Final Record: 12-7 (4-1)                             

Notable Player Statistics:

Noah Cundiff (Goalkeeper): 135 saves, 6 shutouts

Muiz Aderogba (Midfielder/Defender): 1 goal, 1 assist 

Erik Balkius (Forward/Midfielder): 6 goals, 2 assists

Aiden Clauburg (Defender): 3 goals, 1 assist

Servando Gonzalez (Midfielder): 1 goal, 1 assist

Brayden Kurak (Forward): 8 goals, 7 assists

Cody McLeod (Forward): 6 goals, 6 assists

Gabriel Occhipinti (Midfielder): 2 goals, 7 assists

Anderson Ordonez-Mejia (Forward/Midfielder): 6 goals, 3 assists

Josh Rosado (forward): 6 goals, 2 assists

Cole Sarama (Midfielder): 1 goal, 1 assist

Notable Player Accolades (so far):

Noah Cundiff:

• 2nd team All- B-South
• 3rd team All-Ocean County 

Aiden Clauburg: 

• 1st Team All- B-South
• 1st Team All-Ocean County 
• 2nd Team All-Shore Conference
• Voted B-South “Defender of the Year”

Cody McLeod: 

• 1st Team All- B-South
• 3rd Team All-Ocean County

Brayden Kurak:

• 1st Team All- B-South
• 2nd Team All-Ocean County

History for the Class of 2025:

• Most wins (12) in school history (2024)
• Most career wins (43) for a graduating class
• Most career shutouts (21) for a graduating class
• First B-South Championship in 20+ years (2023)
• Highest seed (#3) for SJ Group 2 tournament (2024)
• Largest margin of victory (6-0) in a playoff game (2024)